


Great, Cool

by davey_gaycobs



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a song, F/F, Getting Back Together, Implied Sexual Content, Implied sprace, M/M, Mutual Pining, Weddings, implied specsromeo, javid - Freeform, look i know this is unrealistic and probably ooc but bear with me i am a simple sponge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2018-10-29 00:09:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10842363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/davey_gaycobs/pseuds/davey_gaycobs
Summary: Jack and Davey went their separate ways a long time ago. And they're totally not still in love with each other, right?





	1. I was reading The Times...

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration for this is from the song Great, Cool. Go and look it up!

"Young Graduate Receives Large NSF Grant for Innovative Research"

That was the headline Jack saw while reading  _The Times_ on Saturday morning. He rarely read the newspaper, but today for some reason he had felt compelled to buy one.

Now he wished he hadn't.

Because underneath the headline, smiling cheerily up at him, was none other than David Jacobs. He looked nearly the same as when Jack had seen him last. His hair was a tad shorter and the way he parted it was different. It suited him; he looked more grown up that way. His face was still young, but the eyes older than Jack remembered. They were still hazel, still shining, and they still crinkled on account of his smile, but perhaps they were slightly tired. God, he was beautiful. His smiling lips were so pink and full and Jack just wanted to -

_No. Stop. It's been almost five years you are not still in love with Davey fucking Jacobs._

He tore his eyes away from the photo and quickly read the article - Davey had won some award for his paper about medical advances using the venom of some obscure Japanese snake, and now he just got a boatload of money to continue his research. Jack smiled fondly, though it was a little pained. He always knew Davey would go far - that he would do something smart, something that really mattered. 

Jack carefully cut out the article and picture then crawled under his bed, wriggling back out with a shoebox that had once held an old pair of hiking boots. Now it was what Jack called his Davey Box. Only to himself of course, because no one else knew it existed, although sometimes Jack thought Katherine suspected. The box held all the stuff that reminded him of Davey, like that green v-neck he used to wear all the time. Jack had never returned it the last time Davey left it at his apartment, and if Jack sometimes got it out and pressed the fabric against his face so that he could smell Davey again... well, he would never admit it. 

There were also gifts Davey had given him, like the set of paintbrushes he didn't use anymore because it hurt too much to think about who gave them to him. And then there was a thick scrapbook (a birthday gift from Crutchie) filled with pictures of the two of them, notes they had passed in class, ticket stubs to concerts, movies, and amusement parks where they had gone on dates, and even a love letter Davey had written him once. Flipping through the pages, memory after memory flashed across Jack's mind. 

 _The first time Davey met Jack, when Davey was just the new kid at school who_ didn't know when to stop running his goddamn mouth _, calling out the teacher on something they said that was incorrect._

_How Jack just couldn't shake the feeling that he really needed to get to know this kid, so he had pushed himself into Davey's life at every opportunity, volunteering to give him an extensive tour of the school. Davey was resistant at first, but Jack was persistent and his resolve didn't last long._

_Soon they were best friends, practically inseparable. And then they were teetering on the edge of maybe-almost-something-more-than-friends until Jack had kissed Davey on the fire escape and it was fleeting and awkward and the beginning of something wonderful and Jack wanted to kiss him for the rest of his life._

_They made out in the alleyways of New York City, on the roof of Jack's apartment building, and behind the bleachers at school. They held hands on the subway, down the street, and under the table in history class. They talked endlessly and made plans for the future,_ their _future._

_Plans that would never happen now._

Jack sighed and tried to ignore the pricks of tears at the corners of his eyes and the lump in his throat. He taped the newspaper clipping near the back of the book; only a few pages remained empty. A surge of bitterness swept through Jack as he thought of how those pages wouldn't be covered with pictures of him and Davey living their lives together like they were supposed to be. No doubt the fate of those pages now was to hold more news articles about Davey and pictures from his social media that Jack definitely did not stalk. Pictures of Davey with some other guy, most likely marrying someone else eventually. Someone that wasn't Jack. The thought almost made him sick.

But it's great, cool. 

Davey was clearly happy - making headlines, fulfilling his dreams. He was exactly where he needed to be and Jack was proud of him.

_But was it worth you and me?_


	2. Check This Out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry it took me so long to update! But here it is!!

_"Santa Fe, my old friend, I can't spend my whole life dreamin'..."_  
  
Davey stared at the cab radio, trying (and failing) not to imagine Jack Kelly's stupid face singing his overplayed one hit wonder. It was hard to believe that a song he wrote when he was 17 was all over Japan - where it was likely most of the people hardly knew where Santa Fe even _was -_  but here was Jack, crooning out of the speakers like no time at all had passed.  
  
This wasn't the first time since he'd been in Japan that Davey had heard Jack's song, but normally he had been busy at the lab, or in a rush to get somewhere, with no time to spare more than a flickering thought of Jack. But now he was in for a long ride to the airport, with little to do but think. Focusing on his book was a bit difficult when the radio was blasting his ex-boyfriend's song. So who could blame him if when he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes his thoughts inevitably turned to Jack.   
  
_Jack Kelly, with his tanned skin, goofy smile, and broad shoulders, sweeping in and overturning Davey's whole world. From the very first day at his new school, Davey was reeling at how this beautiful, infuriating boy was talking to him, genuinely talking to him. A boy who actually wanted to hear what he had to say. Davey had never had that before - never had a friend before - and it was addicting._  
  
_Yes, Jack sure was addicting. Since that first kiss on the fire escape Davey just hadn't been able to get enough of Jack's kisses. He could still remember what it felt like to kiss Jack; whether it was soft and slow on lazy Saturday afternoons or rough and desperate when Davey would shove him up against the wall of their apartment. He could still feel Jack's skin underneath his hands, his breath on his neck --_  
  
The cab went over a bump, banging Davey's head against the window and jolting him away from those dangerously tempting thoughts. Good thing, too. Because he couldn't think about that anymore. It got him nowhere. He and Jack were over, and had been for a long time. And Davey didn't think about him. No, he absolutely did not.  
  
Well, not too often anyways.  
  
Then he felt that familiar stab of anger and sadness that always came with thinking about Jack, a stark reminder of the choices they had made and what they had lost in the process. Even so, it was nice hearing a familiar voice overseas. He was glad to know there was at least still one reminder that Jack was there, if not with him then immortalized in song.  
  
A song which by now had ended, and with it Davey's excuse for thinking about Jack in the first place.

So he tried to lie. He tried to tell himself he was in the right place, that he had the success he wanted, that he was doing just great, cool.  
  
That he wasn't still in love with a man he hadn't seen in nearly five years.  
  
_But see, the truth is I miss you just so you know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Davey my love. Comment what you thought! Hope you liked it!! I'll try my best to update sooner lol. Check me out on tungle dot com @ littlefettuccinealfredo  
> ((( psa david jacobs is a top )))  
> -Vic


	3. Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's like 1 am but whatever I'm updating! Also there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter and I'm not sure I like it all that much... sorry

Davey heard his name being shouted as soon as he got through security, and the next thing he knew he was engulfed in a rib-cracking hug, face smothered in soft brown hair. He smiled and wrapped his arms around his sister just as tightly.

They broke apart and Sarah looked him up and down. "Hey, stranger. Did you get even taller?"

"Maybe you just got shorter. Where's Kath?" he asked as he picked up his suitcase from the baggage claim.

"She had to work late so she couldn't come. How was your flight?"

"Long. Glad it's over and I'm finally here."

"I'm so happy you could make it all this way, Davey. It means the world to me, you know that, right?"

"As if I could possibly miss my big sister's wedding."

Sarah gave him a one-armed squeeze as they walked through the doors of the airport to the parking lot.

* * *

 

"...So we spent all this time looking for it, only to realize that Pickles fucking  _ate_ it and then we had to wait for him to poop out my engagement ring." 

They were eating pasta and Sarah was talking animatedly about the antics of her and Kath's dog while Davey laughed.

"At least you got it back."

Sarah scoffed and glared down at Pickles, who was sitting on the carpet innocently, until his ears suddenly perked up and he ran to the door of the apartment. "That means Kath's home!" Sarah said happily, and sure enough Katherine opened the door a second later.

"Hey guys!" She scratched Pickles' ears, kissed Sarah on the cheek, then walked around the table to give Davey a hug. "Davey! It's been way too long. Sorry I couldn't come pick you up at the airport with Sarah; I had to work late."

"Nah, it's fine. I totally understand the struggle of long work hours."

"Boy tell me about it... It's not so bad when Jack works late with me, though. He always manages to lighten the mood."

Davey decided to ignore the warning look Sarah gave Katherine at the mention of Jack followed by a hasty change of subject.

"So... wedding plans have been crazy. I think Sarah's going to lose it if one more thing goes wrong."

Sarah groaned. "Don't even talk like that. Fingers crossed it's smooth sailing the next two days."

Of course, it wouldn't be.

* * *

 

David was on his way to the kitchen for some breakfast the next morning but stopped at the corner of the hallway when he heard his name.

"He'll have to sit by Davey. That's the only other seat available," Katherine was saying. She sounded a bit distressed.

"Are you sure? There's got to be  _somewhere_ else we can put him."

"No, Sarah, I've told you. There's no more room at the Newsies tables," - Davey smiled at the stupid name Jack's friend group had given themselves way back in elementary school - "that's why we put him with your cousins in the first place. And now that their flight got delayed and they won't be able to make it, he can't just sit at a table by himself. And if we try to move other people around we would mess up the whole seating arrangement."

Sarah sighed. "Davey's not gonna be happy." There it was, his name again. He had a creeping suspicion he knew exactly who they were talking about, though for one of the few times in his life, he sincerely hoped he was wrong. 

"It's been so long, Sarah. Surely he's over Jack by now." Of course he was right. It's always Jack Kelly.

Sarah started to say something in reply, but David decided it was time for him to enter the conversation. He stepped into the kitchen and cleared his throat loudly, causing both girls to jump. Sarah looked up at him guiltily. "Morning, Davey. How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough. But really, Sarah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal if I have to sit by Jack." He knew his voice had that strange, high tone that it always did whenever he was lying or in a particularly awkward situation. He wondered if they could tell he was trying to convince himself as much as he was them, or if they knew how fast his heart was racing. 

Katherine said, with a hint of satisfaction, "See, Sarah? He's fine," and walked into the living room with her toast. But Sarah knew her brother better than that. She eyed him skeptically until he gave her a look that clearly said "drop it" and she followed her fiance into the living room.

Davey leaned against the kitchen counter and tried to gather his thoughts.

It's fine, cool.

He wasn't going to let this spoil his sister's wedding. It wasn't about him and Jack; it was about Kath and Sarah. He refused to worry them the day before their wedding with his stupid relationship problems (if you could even call it that). So what if he had to sit by Jack? Sarah had already told him that Jack would be there, so he had figured they would probably cross paths at some point. Why should he freak out? Everything was going to be fine. He could survive a couple of hours in close proximity to his ex-boyfriend who he may or may not still be in love with. 

Right?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pickles inspo creds go to my darling Kai :)


	4. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to my good friend phi (@pouncival) because it was his bday recently!! and also hes amazing and i love him and he helped me with some of jacks dialogue in this chapter! :)  
> ALSO finally me?? writing a long chapter?? wowza

Davey stood in front of the bathroom mirror, pulling the knot in his tie up to his throat. He combed his long, slender fingers through his hair and straightened his collar.

He and Sarah were at their parents' apartment because the brides weren't supposed to see each other the night before the wedding, even though they had been living together for years.

Davey heard his mother scream and grinned. Sarah must have finished getting ready and had emerged from her room.

When Davey walked into the living room it was immediately apparent that this reaction was warranted. Sarah was twirling slowly to display the full effect for her parents: half of her soft brown hair was pulled into a loose bun while the other half cascaded gently down her back. Her simple dress had a delicate lace bodice and sleeves, and the skirt fluttered around her as she turned. She looked absolutely resplendent and Davey felt a surge of emotion at his big sister positively glowing in her white dress, beaming with happiness. 

"Wow, Sarah, you look decent for once," is what he actually said, and Sarah stuck her tongue out at him affectionately. 

Esther ushered everyone towards the door, "Ok, come along everyone. We wouldn't want Sarah to be late to her own wedding, now would we?"

Davey took a deep breath. It was going to be fine.

 

*******

 

The synagogue was decorated with seemingly thousands of violets; guests looked around in awe as they filtered into the large, open room.

Davey smiled and gave a thumbs up at Katherine as her father escorted her to the chuppah at the font and she winked back at him. She looked elegant with her hair in a bun on the top of her head and her long, white silk dress trailing behind her.

Katherine took Sarah's hands as Sarah walked up to chuppah and they smiled at each other lovingly, drinking in this moment together.

 

*******

 

Then came the dinner. Davey, sitting in the front row during the actual ceremony, hadn't seen Jack yet, but now he would be in close proximity to him for an unforeseeable amount of time. He was a little terrified, if he was telling the truth. He took a deep breath and started walking towards his table - and there Jack was, standing about ten feet away, talking animatedly to Racetrack.

Davey was frozen where he stood, staring, enraptured, at Jack. He was in a basic black suit and white undershirt that looked slightly too small for him, like he had bought it when he was younger and he had grown a bit since then - the fabric tightened deliciously around his broad shoulders. And he had actually combed his hair for the occasion, which was honestly a strange sight. Davey wasn't entirely sure Jack even  _owned_ a comb, let alone used it. Or maybe now he did and he combed his hair down every day; there was no way Davey could know.

The thought that he might not know who the man in front of him was anymore elicited a pang of sadness, but it also sharpened the desire to run up to Jack and run his hands through his hair, mussing it up to its usual fashion and erasing the last five years.

Then Race gave a final laugh and clapped Jack on the shoulder, walking over to the door Spot had just came in from. Jack turned absently and suddenly he was making eye contact with Davey. Jack's jaw went a little slack. Now that Jack was facing him fully, Davey took notice of his tie. It was very crooked, and the knot was incorrect, but pretty close to what it was supposed to be. Jack had obviously tried and failed to tie it himself. Davey bit his lip to keep from smiling. Jack blinked and looked down at the floor, popping the little bubble Davey had been in. 

Davey walked up to their assigned table and spotted a card that read "David Jacobs" placed in front of a seat, next to a card that read "Jack Kelly." It wasn't enough he had to sit at the same table as his ex-boyfriend, now he actually had to sit  _directly_ next to him.

The silence between them was uncomfortable, even with the background chatter of the other guests, so Davey looked at Jack and, for lack of something better to say, simply pointed out, "Your tie is wrong."

Jack looked startled that Davey had spoken to him at all. "What?"

"Your tie. You did it wrong."

"Oh, yeah, I figured. I never did learn." Jack easily slipped back into his charming self.

There was a pause and before Davey could think he was saying "Do you want me to fix it for you?"  _What the fuck, Jacobs._

"Oh. Uhm. If you want to? Does it really look that bad?"

Davey scoffed and Jack grinned for the first time, and, oh, wasn't that a wonderful sight.

"Ok, you're right, it is pretty bad."

"Here."

Davey untangled the the fabric and retied it the right way, willing himself to focus on the tie and  _not_ look at Jack's beautiful face. But now that his hands had found Jack again they didn't seem to want to leave, fidgeting with straightening his tie and collar, brushing a spec of dust off his shoulders. Jack just stood there, letting Davey fuss, something hopeful and melancholy flickering in his eyes as he watched him.

"Ahem." 

Davey jumped away from Jack at the sound of of someone clearing their throat and turned to see Les staring at him with raised eyebrows.

"Hey, Les!" Jack beamed as Davey sat down in his chair, trying not to think about  _what the hell just happened._  

He didn't look over or say a word when Jack sat down next to him. Most of the guests had arrived and were finding their ways to their tables when Sarah and Katherine showed up. Everyone clapped and cheered for the newlyweds as they walked hand-in-hand to their table at the front of the banquet hall. Katherine turned to face the crowd. "Thank you so much everyone for coming! We'll have dinner and then kick off the festivities." She winked at Sarah, who giggled. 

 

*******

 

Everyone was seated at their tables, glancing through menus and making light conversation. Loud laughter was heard every so often from the Newsies' tables. Sarah and Katherine were at a table by themselves, next to the wedding cake, talking quietly and holding hands over the table, leaning in close. Davey, Jack, Esther, Mayer, Les, and Pulitzer were at a table a few feet away from them, as they were the family of the brides. Well, Jack was there because of the mix-up, but he was basically family anyways. 

Jack was scanning the menu thoughtfully when he leaned over to Davey and whispered, "Do you think they have OJ?"

"Jack, it's a wedding, why would they have orange juice?"

Jack sighed dramatically and turned back to his menu.

***

"So, David." Davey looked up at Pulitzer, instantly uncomfortable. "What's this I hear about your research in Japan?"

"Oh! Well, there's this rare type of snake that lives only on this one island in Japan, and its venom has some really incredible healing properties. I'm thinking that with a little more research we could really make an impact on modern medicine." He said all of this very fast.

Pulitzer nodded along interestedly, always on the lookout for juicy tidbits of information his paper could publish.

"Oh, yeah, Davey, I saw an article about you getting an award for that!" Hearing Jack's voice saying his name again sent a jolt up Davey's spine, and he almost missed the last part of the sentence.

"You read about me?"  _You've been thinking about me? You're still interested in my life? You care about me? You_ don't  _hate me?_

Jack shuffled in his seat awkwardly. "Well, yeah, I mean, I just happened to be reading the paper for once and I saw your picture and I was like, "hey, I know that guy" so uh... yeah."

There were five seconds of silence while Davey stared at Jack and so did the rest of the table. Then Jack, in classic Jack fashion, broke the silence.

"Does it hurt the snakes?"

"Huh?"

"When you take their venom, does it hurt them? I think I read in the paper that doing that could eventually make that species go extinct because taking their venom kills them."

Davey scrunched up his nose in confusion. "That's wrong. Extracting their venom for test samples doesn't hurt them, it's a pretty simple process." Davey thought this was an odd conversation for them to be having at a wedding.

"Yeah, I knew that paper was bs anyways."

"What paper was it?"

" _New York Times."_

"That's my paper," Pulitzer remarked coldly, glaring at Jack disdainfully.

"Oh, yeah, I guess it is." Jack's shit-eating grin betrayed the fact that he clearly hadn't overlooked that it was Pulitzer's paper. Davey hid his smile behind his hand and covered up his laugh with a cough.

Jack turned back to talk to Davey again. "Have you ever been bitten by one?" His voice was casual, but Davey thought he could hear a bit of concern in it.

"Haha, yeah, a couple times."

"WHAT?! Davey, you could have died!" So, sure, maybe Jack was overreacting a bit, but Davey was  _clearly_ underreacting.

"Jack, there are perfectly capable medical facilities in Japan. I would not have died."

"You might have! I knew it was a bad idea for you to go to Japan."

Davey's eyes narrowed suddenly. "Yeah, you made that pretty clear five years ago."

Jack opened his mouth angrily, but then Les, a savior as always, said loudly, "Davey, you told me over the phone that you would show me your snake bite!"

"That's right, I did." Davey stretched his left hand out towards Les to show off the puncture-hole scars on his index finger.

"Cool!"

Jack looked like he might faint, but he didn't say anything, and the subject was dropped.

Esther shook her head at her sons and turned to address Jack. "I know you've been working with Katherine as a cartoonist for _The Sun_ , but what about your other art? Your painting? How's that going?"

Davey's heart constricted at the way Jack's eyes lit up with passion when he heard the question.

"It's going great, Mrs. Jacobs! I still paint sets for Medda a lot but I do commissions and just make art for myself as well. Actually right now I'm working on a bunch of pieces for a gallery show I'm doing next month!"

There were "ooh"s and "congratulations!" from the table.

"Can I see some of your art?" Davey asked shyly. He wasn't sure if he would be allowed, but Jack smiled and nodded vigorously, reaching into his jacket pocket for his phone.

"This is one I finished a few days ago."

Davey gasped. Jack's art had been amazing before, but it was obvious how much he had improved over the years. Every detail was exquisite; the colors of the New York skyline at sunsight blended perfectly, windows glowing with gold.

"It's beautiful, Jack."

"Nah, it's just a bunch of skyscrapers. Besides, it's hard to get the full effect from just a picture on my phone."

Davey tried not to let his mind run away with him and imagine Jack was implying he should come view it in real life. Jack scrolled through his phone gallery, until he came to a particular landscape Davey was all too familiar with.

"Still drawing Santa Fe, I see."

Jack nodded.

"So how was it? Santa Fe, I mean. Everything you dreamed it would be?" Davey hoped he didn't sound too bitter.

Jack gave him a strange, calculating look before replying. "It was great. The moon is bigger there, you know."

Davey rolled his eyes. Some things never change. "It can't be. That's not how the moon works."

"Nope, everything is different there. The desert, the sky, the sun - "

"The same sun is here!"

"How would you know, it's not like you've been in New York recently." Ouch.

"It's the same sun in Japan, too!" Davey retorted angrily. He knew there was no point in getting riled up, that Jack was just being stupid on purpose. But Jack Kelly always had that effect on Davey - he made him forget his sense.

Jack rolled his eyes and took a drink of champagne. When he set it back down, it was with a little too much force, and the glass toppled over, pouring bubbly liquid into Davey's lap.

"Oh ffu - uudge.." Jack said, glancing at Les.

"Jack, you can swear, I'm 19 years old."

Davey had grabbed his napkin and was in the process of soaking up the champagne from his pants. Jack grabbed his napkin as well and started to help him. He was apologizing over and over while biting back laughter, his hands dangerously far up Davey's thighs.  _Nope, Davey, you gotta stop that right there._  

"I think I can clean it up myself, but thanks."

Jack (thankfully) relented. Les was laughing hysterically at his brother's misery and Jack had given up on trying not to laugh. Their laughter was infectious, and Davey soon caught it. It was so easy, laughing with Jack. It was as if they were teenagers again.

Mayer checked his watch. "Well, we've got a schedule to stick to, folks." He stood up and faced the hall, clinking his spoon against the glass. He smiled down at Esther. "I've always wanted to do that!" She rolled her eyes and made eye contact with Davey, who laughed. Then Mayer cleared his throat loudly and addressed everyone in the room.

"Good evening, all! Now is the time of the night where we give sappy speeches about the happy couple and cry almost as much as we did at the actual ceremony!"

***

After all speeches and toasts had been made, Jack leaned over to Davey and remarked, "You know, I'm the only person in this room who can say that they've dated both of the people getting married." 

Davey had been taking a drink of champagne at the time, and he snorted into his glass at Jack's comment. He choked and spluttered as he inhaled a mouthful of champagne, Jack laughing and pounding him on the back. 

Suddenly he stopped. "Oh my god, they're cutting the cake. I've been looking forward to this all week." Jack launched himself out of his chair and over to the table where Kath and Sarah were cutting out a large piece of cake together. Sarah dipped her finger in the frosting and wiped it on the tip of Katherine's nose.

When Jack turned around with a plate in his hand he grinned widely at Davey and shoved half of his piece in his mouth at once.

"That's disgusting. How can you even swallow it like that?"

Jack just shrugged, his mouth full of cake.

"You have some..." Davey pointed at the corner of his lip.

"Oh, thanks." Jack's tongue darted out to lick off the bit of frosting. Daveys mouth went dry as he suddenly remembered how many wonderful things Jack's tongue was capable of. He forced himself to look away and walked over to talk to Sarah.

***

Davey didn't necessarily consider himself a dancer. But this was a wedding reception, so of course there would be dancing that he would be obligated to take part in. 

After Katherine and Sarah had their dance together, the music played louder and the dance floor became crowded. 

It wasn't too bad, Davey thought, as he danced and laughed with his friends. He hadn't seen them in a while, and he had missed them. Specs and Romeo were towards the middle of the crowd, grinding a little too intensely to be publicly decent. Crutchie went so far as to smack them with his crutch in a failed attempt to get them to stop. On the edge of the dance floor, Race was doing his best interpretation of disco while Spot laughed. Jack's dancing - which Davey caught glimpses of when he glanced over at him every once in a while - was endearing but difficult to describe. He bopped along happily to the music like a dork, almost like a Classic Dad would do. Davey thought he saw him try to persuade Pulitzer to dance with him once.

Sweaty and out of breath, Davey needed a break. He had danced with both Sarah and Katherine, his mother, Les, and for some reason Mush at one point. He was standing by the punch table when a voice behind him asked, "May I have this dance?"

It was Jack. Of course it was Jack.

A moment like this had been playing itself out in Davey's mind all night long, and he wasn't entirely sure if he had wanted it to happen or not. But now, actually faced with the proposition of dancing with Jack, he wasn't able to stop himself before blurting out, "okay."

Jack took his forearm gently and led him to the dance floor.

The music was upbeat and fast-paced and Davey didn't know what to do.  _Where was Jack going with this?_

Jack laughed at his stiff posture. "Come on, Davey. Dance!" He held Davey's hands in his own and pulled his arms back and forth, trying to get him to sway. Davey rolled his eyes and complied. This was Jack, after all, and he'd had enough glasses of champagne that he was feeling a little reckless.

Dancing with Jack was some of the most fun he'd had in a while. When he was spinning and laughing it was easy to forget that they weren't together anymore and that he's going to be gone this time next week.

When the music changed to a slow dance song, Davey expected Jack to pull away. Instead, he looked up at Davey tentatively and pulled him closer so that they were mere inches apart, chests brushing, and placed one hand on Daveys waist. Davey wasn't complaining. 

They turned slowly on the spot, swaying gently with the music, and Davey thought how effortlessly he could lean in and kiss Jack. But no. He couldn't do that. He shouldn't even be dancing with Jack like this. It was going to hurt him too much in the morning when the euphoria wore off and he had to face reality. He let go of Jack's hand and stepped back. 

"I'm - I - I can't do this, Jacky."  _Fuck._ "Jack. I have to go."

Some people had already left, and Davey knew Sarah wouldn't mind if he slipped away. He had to get out. He felt like crying, and he couldn't bear to look at Jack's face anymore. He turned and half-walked, half-ran away from Jack, ignoring the confused and hurt call of "Davey?" and picked up his jacket from the back of his chair before winding through tables and people to the door.

***

Sitting in the nearly deserted subway car on his way back to the apartment, Davey put his head in his hands and groaned softly to himself. That did not go how he had planned at all. He had hoped to largely ignore Jack throughout the evening, but instead he had talked to him,  _danced_ with him. All those casual touches at dinner, all the side glances and smiles, the feeling of Jack's breath on his neck as they danced - God, he was in for it now. 

It was scary, feeling himself fall in love again. Although maybe he had never really fallen out of it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep daveys really gay and distressed  
> sorry if i sounded a bit too gay describing sarah i just.. really love her lol!  
> pls pls pls comment what you thought!!! all of your comments make me so so sooo happy!  
> have a good day!!!!  
> -Vic


	5. Maybe We Were Confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol so it's been months. but dw!! i have not forgotten about this fic!! also i snuck in some more lines from the song so if you are reading this and haven't listened to it you should! it's called great, cool (obviously) written by joey contreras and performed by ben fankhauser and blake daniel!!

It had been several hours since Davey had left the wedding (left Jack) and being cooped up in the empty apartment was torture.

Sarah and Katherine had hurried in and out an hour and a half earlier, collecting their bags and departing for their honeymoon. They were going to a little seaside town in Connecticut for the week, so Davey was housesitting and taking care of Pickles for them.

For the moment, Pickles was sleeping soundly in his bed as Davey paced around the kitchen. His mind was still racing, reciting a seemingly endless mantra of Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack,  _ **Jack.**_ What was he supposed to do now? He'd been over Jack for years - well, he  _thought_ he'd been over Jack for years. But then, what? They spent one night together and suddenly Davey couldn't get him out of his head? It wasn't fair.

Davey slumped into a chair, laying his head down on the kitchen table. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Jack's face as he had walked away. Davey groaned. He couldn't sit there anymore; he had to do something. Usually he would call Sarah for advice, but that would be a little rude on her wedding night. Deciding to not think anything through for once in his life, he grabbed the keys from the hook and ran out the door. When he burst through the front doors of the apartment building, slightly out of breath, he was met with pouring summer rain.

"Fuck!" Davey swore loudly, but there was no one around to look disapprovingly at him. No one else was stupid enough to be out walking in the rain at this time of night. The utter ridiculousness of what he was doing sank in and he let out a nervous laugh, running his hands through his now sopping wet hair. He was still in his suit. He wasn't even sure Jack still lived in the same apartment or if he would still be awake. Davey couldn't decide if it was the champagne or Jack making him this stupid and reckless, but what the hell. There was no use in turning back now.

The walk to Jack's apartment (at least, Jack's apartment as far as Davey knew) wasn't very long. If it had been, Davey might have found time to stop, think and go back home to bed. Instead, he ran as fast as his lungs would allow through the city streets and the rain, and before his mind had truly caught up with his body he was standing in front of Jack's door. He only hesitated a second before knocking, praying that it would be Jack who answered. The seconds he stood in the hallway, waiting for the door to open, seemed to last an eternity. 

* * *

And then Jack was standing in the doorway, brows furrowed because  _who the fuck would be knocking at this hour_ until he saw Davey and his eyes widened. Jack was still wearing his dress shirt and pants, but his jacket and tie were gone and the shirt was unbuttoned.

"Hi," Davey said. He was breathing heavily. 

"....Hi?" It's not that Jack's heart didn't race at Davey being so close to him, but standing at the door to Jack's apartment at 3 am, still in his suit (which was soaking wet and dripping steadily onto the threadbare carpet) with a look on his face that was part desperation, part anger, part sadness, and part... something else, was very unDaveyish behavior.   
  
"I need to talk to you." Davey said pointedly, pushing past Jack into the apartment with no further explanation or waiting to be invited in.  
  
"'Hey, Jack, mind if I come in?' 'Yeah, of course, Davey, make yourself at home.' 'Thanks, you're a real pal!'" Jack said mockingly to the empty doorway before closing the door and turning to Davey, who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, eyes darting anywhere but Jack. He looked like a dam about to burst.  
  
"Here's the thing, Jack. I know it's been, well, a long time, and that things between us didn't exactly end well, and that we've both said some things in the past,"  
   
When Davey looked up, Jack saw the same memories that were echoing through his own head flash in Davey's eyes.

* * *

 _It was senior year of college and Jack and Davey were both busy as all hell, scrambling to finish final projects, find job opportunities for after they graduated, and not die from the stress of it all. Davey was working on the beginnings of some research project he was convinced was going to be his big break for his career, and Jack was powering through as many art shows as was physically possible. Finding time for each other was hard, and sometimes weeks would go by without them seeing each other. And when they did manage to find some free time they were drained and irritable._  
  
_It was one of the rare nights when they got to be together, and they were sitting on the couch, something playing quietly on the TV. Jack was leaning his head on Davey's shoulder, almost asleep, until Davey spoke up._  
  
_"Jacky, guess what!"_  
  
_Jack gave a hum of acknowledgement that he was listening, eyes still closed._  
  
_"My research project got me accepted into the graduate program, and they're giving me a summer internship in Japan to work on it, and if that goes well, then I'll continue my research there during the school year! Can you believe it? They liked my project! They want me to do actual field and lab research for it in Japan!" He had been bursting to share his news all day, and his excitement might have gotten the better of his tact._  
  
_Jack sat up, frowning at Davey, dark circles under his eyes and unshaven stubble suddenly more prominent than before._  
  
_Davey didn't know that Jack had only got about 2 hours of sleep in the past 3 days, as he refused to rest until all the paintings for his next show were done. Davey didn't know that Jack had been feeling more than a little neglected the past few weeks while Davey studied frantically for finals, and that the announcement that he would be going to a different continent for an unknown amount of time would only serve to heighten this fact. So of course, Davey didn't know why Jack's reaction was hurt and disappointed rather than the pleased and supportive one he was aiming for._  
  
_"You're leaving? Just like that?"_

_Davey's smile fell._

  
_"Well, not right away. It will take a bit to get all the details worked out. There's the flights to book, the matter of where I'm going to stay, including the specific part of Japan I'm going to, who I'll be working with there - "_

_"What about me?"_

_Davey blinked._

_"Or did you not consider that in your plans?" Jack's attempt at a sarcastic grin ended up more like a bitter grimace._

 

_"I - Jack - can't you just let me celebrate this for two seconds? It's a huge opportunity for me." There was a tinge of anger bubbling beneath the surface of his words._

_Jack stood up from the couch abruptly, his exhausted form tense. "You can't just drop a bomb like this and expect me to be all gung-ho about you leaving me behind."_

_Davey winced. "I'm not leaving you behind! I assumed you would come with me."_

_"So I can follow you around like a stupid puppy while you do your crazy-smart sciencey stuff with your crazy-smart sciencey people? No thanks. I'd rather paint in Santa Fe," Jack scoffed._

_Davey stood up too, raising his eyes towards the ceiling. "God, WHEN are you going to give that up?"_

_Jack seethed and Davey wished he hadn't said it, but it was too late to take it back. They were both yelling now -_

_"So it's all about_ your _dreams then, Davey? What about what_  I _want?" Jack ran his hands through his hair. "Do you even care about me or this relationship at all anymore? I barely see you and when I do it's like you're not even here and then you tell me this and how am I supposed to live with that, huh?"_

_"Well what do you think I should do? Go to Santa Fe with you? And do what, exactly? I want to do something_ more  _with my life!"_

_There was a ringing silence following these words. They looked at each other and a grim understanding seemed to pass between them._

_"Oh, I see. So I'm not good enough for you, is that it? I'm holding you back, David?"_

_"Jacky, I didn't say - "_

_"No. I knew what you meant. If I'm such a burden to you then why are you even here? Just go."_

_Jack wasn't looking directly at Davey, who was close to tears._

_But no, he refused to start crying in front of Jack Kelly. He was silent for several seconds, his high-strung brain battling with his heart for the right words to say. Then, his tone clipped and icy -_

_"You're right. This clearly isn't working."_

_"So it's over then?" Jack sounded detached, businesslike. The fire in the shouting from just a few seconds ago completely burnt out. The familiarity and warmth of Jack's apartment seemed to dissipate, suddenly turning cold and uninviting. It was over._

_"Yeah. I'm leaving. Dont bother calling me."_

_And with that Davey had grabbed his jacket and was out the door without so much as a "goodbye, Jack."_

_That was the last they saw of each other. Davey had come and gathered the things he had at Jack's apartment while Jack was at work and left the spare key on the counter. Jack always thought maybe if they had just seen each other face to face again, things would have been different. But hindsight was 20/20 and it was 5 years too late now. Yet here was Davey, back in Jack's same apartment, and Jack wasn't going to fuck up this chance._

* * *

Davey sighed, the hurt from that night, though long ago, still fresh in his mind. "But tonight, seeing you again, I just-. Maybe we made a mistake. Maybe we were confused."

"A mistake? But from what I hear it all turned out great for you in Japan, right?"

"It is! It's - yeah. It's wonderful, it's cool."

Davey had never been all that great at lying, a fact which didn't escape Jack's notice. Jack raised an eyebrow with concern and that was all it took for Davey to release some of the worries he'd been carrying on his shoulders.  
  
"I don't fit in there, Jack. I don't have any friends, it's like middle school all over again. I've tried to go on dates but I can't ever get past the second one. Most of the people I work with are stuck up bio chem or microbiology majors. This isn't even what I wanted to do! I never wanted to work in the medical side of biology but here I am, spending the last 5 years of my life doing something I don't even enjoy! I miss home and my family, I miss New York, I miss - you. And I don't know, I mean, I know we both made choices. But sometimes I feel like the path that _I_ chose just gets lonelier as I go."  
  
Jack stood there stunned as Davey grew increasingly uncomfortable with both the growing silence and the distance between them. Davey couldn't help thinking that they were standing in that same spot they had been 5 years ago.  
  
"But what about you? How did Santa Fe turn out? You didn't say much at dinner."  
  
There was almost too long of a pause before Jack said softly, "Davey, I didn't go to Santa Fe."  
  
"Oh."  
  
And then Davey was crossing the living room to Jack and kissing him as hard as he could.  
  
Jack made a noise of surprise before moving his hand up to Davey's face and kissing back as good as he got. He pulled Davey closer by the tie and moved his lips to Davey's neck. Davey gasped and backed Jack against the wall as Jack pushed Davey's blue suit jacket off his shoulders where it fell to heap on the floor. They kissed open-mouthed and hot, like if they even stopped for air the moment would break and they would be apart again. Jack rested his hands on Davey's hips, untucking his shirt and running his hands over the smooth skin underneath it. They stumbled slowly down the short hallway to Jack's room, not bothering to let go of each other, the only sounds in the apartment their moans and gasps. Jack nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and fell back onto the bed, pulling Davey down on top of him.

* * *

Afterwards as he lay wrapped in Jack's arms, feeling his steady breathing tickle his neck, Davey's last thought before he drifted off to sleep was, "I'm home."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)  
> finally amiright  
> also it took me foreverrr to write the argument and i'm still not satisfied with it but whatever!  
> and sorry for any odd pov switches. i tried to separate it but just accept me as an omniscient narrator :)  
> and ill be honest: i'm not sure where i want to go from here. i considered ending it here but idk. lmk what u think!  
> pls kudo/comment what u thought!! love love love yall i'm sorry updates take so long  
> \- Vic  
> (psa number 2: davey jacobs is still a top)


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